ENED
' ENED' is a research institute created by the government and the pharmaceutical company RABBIT. In the game, ENED was disbanded after the war. In the manga, ENED appears to be an active organization still looking for the source of Line. History In the series’ world, RABBIT is a well-known pharmaceutical company. Before the Third Division, the company was contracted by the military to develop a drug to enhance soldiers’ performance. ENED was formed twenty years prior to the series to complete this endeavor. The true goal of ENED was so classified that only a few of the researchers knew exactly what they were working on. Emma was one of the researchers with high clearance, and directly oversaw the development of Nicole Premier. Both Arbitro and Motomi worked for RABBIT before being transferred to ENED. Arbitro’s clearance level is unclear, but he says he was not an "elite" like Emma and never met Nicole Premier. Motomi states he and Arbitro barely knew each other because they were in different divisions. Motomi had low clearance, and did not learn the truth until after the incident where Premier escaped and murdered his son along with other researchers. Motomi believed ENED was developing medicine. Project Nicole During their research, the scientists noticed an abnormality in the blood of one of their test subjects. The virus was extremely unstable; it made people stronger, but also drove them insane. The virus was codenamed "Nicole", and the test subject was codenamed "Nicole Premier". ENED’s task was changed to finding highly compatible receptors for the virus and to reengineer it for practical use. Along with physical strength, ENED believed that the best soldier would have enhanced mental abilities and suppressed emotions; Nicole Premier was deemed their only true success in this regard, as well as in physical performance. Six subjects were tested in battle, including once during a small civil war before the Third Division itself, and Nicole Premier's results were unmatched. Premier was the keystone of the research, and after his disappearance, and the massacre of most of the high-level researchers, the government shut down the facility. However, as Line began to spread from Toshima, Project Nicole was re-evaluated. Remains of the earlier research showed a new possibility: an "Anti-Nicole" or "Null Nicole" virus was developing in the blood of another test subject. This new virus could, in theory, neutralize the properties of Nicole. To restart Project Nicole, the capture of both Nicole Premier and Anti-Nicole was ordered. The Orphanage The experiments focused on children, due to their adaptability and potential. During the Third Division, the government took all children from their homes to receive military training, but ENED’s researchers were privately given the option to stay with their children as long as the children participated in the studies. An orphanage was used as a front for ENED. Every test subject can be traced to this orphanage, and this is how they can confirm both Akira and Keisuke were among those experimented upon. In the manga, this orphanage is called the “Toshima Bunny Nursery.” Appearances In the Game The actual size of the premises is unknown, but images of the ENED facility appear in a few routes. * Motomi’s route – A flashback shows Motomi working late one night. A hallway is seen, and Motomi remarks that it is a much creepier place at night. It is here he discovers Arbitro creating his “art” using a young boy, and reports this abuse to his superiors. * Nano's route – Nano has a flashback to his time as a research subject. It shows the machines used to measure Nano’s after-battle statistics, as well as the wires that connected Nano to these machines. Part of the outdoors area of the facility is seen in Akira’s flashback to his first meeting with Nano. In the Anime The Orphanage appears flashbacks in Episode 5 and Episode 10, while images of ENED as a research facility appear in Episode 8. The outside of the institute is shown, along with the research in progress. Test subjects are seen submerged in sophisticated tanks, and several scientists move over the various machines. In the Manga In the manga, the Toshima Bunny Nursery regularly appears in a destroyed state. The dead tree Nano is associated with in the game is located on its premises, although the scene where Akira meets him by the tree is changed. ENED as a research institute is most often shown through images of the massacre, which feature heavily throughout the manga. A notable non-massacre example is a scene where ENED's scientists congratulate Emma on Premier's field test, in chapter 23. This scene shows the researchers monitoring his performance in battle through headsets and computer screens. Category:Locations Category:Factions & Organizations